


Just Earrings

by Lucky_Cassandra



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist
Genre: Angst, Healing, Implied Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-04
Updated: 2012-01-04
Packaged: 2017-10-28 22:03:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/312641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucky_Cassandra/pseuds/Lucky_Cassandra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He had promised to keep her earrings safe and give them back to her, after all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Earrings

The last couple of days had gone by in a haze. Winry had never realized it was possible to emotionally saturate her mind and keep it from taking in everything that was going on around her. Good thing she was still a little mad at Ed for not sending more news before the brothers actually showed up on her doorstep, otherwise she would be so distracted to not be able to function properly. He had actually given a proper explanation for what he had—or hadn't—said, and Winry grudgingly had to admit it wasn't such a bad one, even though she would never say it to his face. He had said after so long, so much travelling and all his promises, he wanted to be able to see her face when she found out it was actually over.

Of course Edward had called, a few days after the Promised Day, to make sure she and Granny were fine and to say he was alive and so was Al, but had hung up on her when she had tried asking how they were and what had happened. So she had had to sit and wait. Again. And it hadn't exactly been a few weeks either, but over two months of more worrying, because even though Ed had said it was all over, she couldn't make herself believe it. She was so used to worrying and waiting she just couldn't give it up. At least this time it had been worth it, she thought to herself smiling.

She still couldn't get over what she had felt when she had opened the door to see Al restored to his flesh and blood body, and Ed standing over him with that smile on his face. And some peace in his eyes, at long last. Winry's chest had seemed unable to contain her emotions. The happiness, surprise and disbelief had been painful in their intensity. She had cried for nearly an hour, while the two brothers tried to calm her down, to assure her it was all real, they were back, really back. Ed had even reached out with his right hand... warm, and soft, and so incredibly real... to dry a few tears as they were streaming down her face. "The only reason these are okay," he had said, "is because they are happy tears. I had promised you that. I kept my promise." He had then smiled mischievously and waved his right hand in front of ther eyes, wiggling his fingers. "And I don't even need you any more for this, ha... I've been looking forward to giving up that metal crap!"

That was when Alphonse's face had fallen slightly. "But your leg, brother. All this, and you still have an automail leg." Winry had turned to look into Edward's eyes with a stricken look. "You... your leg... you didn't..." Ed had quickly shrugged it off. "Oh, well, so I still need you as a mechanic. I still have to wear your metal crap. It isn't that bad, and I am used to it after all. I think we can both live with that." His smile had eased the fresh wave of pain that had hit Winry. "Don't give me that look. Only happiness today."

A few days had passed, and they still hadn't explained everything. She really didn't understand much about Alchemy, and Ed and Al had not wanted to go into details. Winry was not in a hurry, now that they were back (at least for a while. Al couldn't really go anywhere the way he was, thin and weak and starved, and Ed was so protective of him these days it didn't look like he could move more than ten meters away from Al without seeming to be in physical pain), she knew she would get answers at some point.

As Winry was working at her table, goggles on and table littered with tiny pieces of metal, she heard someone walking in. The very soft but familiar sound of mismatched feet told her it was Ed. She spoke without turning around. “Don't bug me, I'm working,” she said, trying to hide the smile in her voice. Truth was she loved being interrupted by him.

“I... just wanted to give these back to you. I... forgot to give them back before.” Ed's voice was so hesitant and so unlike himself she had to turn around and lift her goggles. He was looking slightly flushed and was holding something in his hand. He moved closer and lowered his hand to her.

“Oh...” Her earrings.

It all came back to her. Baschool, the plan—her plan, Scar, Kimbley, the ice and snow, Al running after them, the nothingness that had swallowed Ed for weeks, the news that he had disappeared when the mine had collapsed, the slow, deep, burning fear that he was...

Ed took a small step back when he took in the tears that were forming in her blue eyes. “W-Why are you crying now? I just meant to give them back to you!” It was slightly comical to see him panic every time, even after so long, and so many tears. Winry wiped her eyes quickly.

“I... I'm sorry, you just took me by surprise. I hardly even remembered those, but when I saw them I thought back to... all that happened.” Those earrings were still linked to painful memories.

“I considered buying new ones for you, but then thought I would get chewed out for loosing your old ones, so here.” Ed put the earrings down on the table right in front of her. They were so close. He started to move away, but Winry put her hand on his wrist.

“Thank you, Ed. I didn't think you still had them after all that happened. They are just earrings, after all,” she said softly.

“Of course I did, you asked me to keep them safe, didn't you?” he asked, petulantly. His voice changed and dropped to almost a whisper. “You have no idea how much they have helped me, at times. Even when a part of me wanted to give up, I had those in my pocket to remind me of the promises I had made. I guess you knew I'd need more objects to carry around and remind me of all those promises. There were so many promises to keep.”

Winry's eyes slowly widened as she took in the implications of what he said. “Oh, Ed, I'm sorry! I didn't mean my earrings to be... I never thought... of your silver watch when I gave you those! I only meant... I never meant to give you another burden to carry around!”

Ed smiled and put his hand over Winry's. “You didn't. Really. You helped me a lot, gave me yet another reason to see all that through. They weren't just earrings to me.” He seemed to hesitate, his smile faltered and his cheeks coloured slightly. “When we met here in Resenbool before the Promised Day... I had your earrings in my pocket. I even thought of giving them back to you at one point, but then I... decided I needed them with me a while longer. So I kept my mouth shut and took them away with me again.”

More images flooded Winry's memories. The time she had caught Ed in her bedroom, the short hours they had managed to spend together while she did maintenece on his automail, the relief to find him alive and well, the shocking pain of taking a glance at that new, horrible, barely healed-over wound he had refused to say anything about (she presumed that was the reason why he had insisted on keeping his shirt on during maintenece. He never did that), the sickening fear of watching him leave once again. The fear of finally having some idea of what he was walking into. For a moment her thoughts were so overwhelming her head spun. She tried to get up but faltered, and Ed's strong arms caught her and steadied her.

“Winry, what's wrong? Are you okay?” There was so much concern in his voice. The pain she heard there made her feel almost worse. “I'm sorry. I did it again. I made you cry again,” he continued. And now there was so much bitterness in his voice. Blaming himself. Again.

Winry looked up. Their faces were so close she could get lost in his golden eyes. What wouldn't she have done to ease the torment and guilt she found there. “No, I have to apologize. For letting memories do this to me, instead of just feeling the joy and relief that you are here, and well, and that it is all over. But I was so scared...” because I love you. She barely managed to swallow the words before they left her lips.

Ed smiled, but it was hard and bitter. “We came back less than a week ago. Al can hardly walk up the steps without help even with the crutch. When I wake up I don't know where I am and I can't figure out why my head doesn't hurt where it was resting on my right arm.” His smile softened a little. “But we will get there, I promise.”

“You still have nightmares, don't you?” Winry asked sofly. She blushed when she saw Ed wince. She obviously knew of the nightmares Ed had been having for years. It was difficult to have spent many nights under the same roof without knowing. She and Granny were almost used to Ed's stifled screams during the night, but they had been hoping the nightmares would disappear now.

Ed was silent and distant for a few moments, then he seemed to shake himself out of it and forced a smile. “I just need to find something else to worry about. I have spent the last five years of my life with a plan, a purpose, a direction. Now I need to keep myself busy somehow, construct our whole life all over again.” He shrugged and his face relxed a bit. “I guess worrying about the rehab of that lazy brother of mine will have to do for now! Where did he get to, anyway? It's time for a walk around the lawn!”

Ed let go of Winry and started walking towards the door. The empty space he left by her side was so akward and cold that Winry almost followed. She caught herself just in time once again. She sighed, then sat back down at her table. Her earrings were there, glittering and innocent-looking. She picked them up and stroked them slowly, thinking back to what Ed had just said. “Just earrings...” she whispered. Then she took a deep breath, and put them back on.


End file.
